Dams in the traditional sense are not known for being all that Green. In exchange for controlling water levels and producing energy, they exact a heavy toll on the environment. People are displaced, waterways are altered, and the landscape is forever changed.

So what do 'our' DAM's have to do with the environment? Turns out, more than you think. Think about all of the printed materials large companies still rely on to market and sell their products. Whether it's product brochures, sales slicks, or marketing brochures, most companies still rely on a Printing 1.0 model -- design your materials, email the files to the printer, print thousands of copies using analog off-set printing techniques, and then archive all of those materials somewhere. More often than not, these materials grow outdated faster than a carton of milk left out on a hot summer day. It's hard to find a figure, but I imagine that it's safe to say that huge tracts of forests are probably wasted every year on corporate materials that never even see the light of day. 

But there is a better way. It's what we call "Printing 2.0". In this model, smart companies with complex printing needs integrate their DAM system directly with a digital printer. Beyond the environmental benefits this affords (no economic incentive to print more copies than you need), there are of course a variety of efficiencies to be realized. For one, with such an integrated DAM/digital printing set up, companies can maintain better control over all of their materials as they're all being served from a unified online archive (which means fewer mistakes and again, fewer trees wasted!). Likewise, marketing managers now have greater control over the printing process. Finally, for digital printers, an integrated DAM system provides them with a direct link to the customer and a way to add value to the print production process. It's one more example of how new technologies can not only radically improve complex business processes but also do some good for the environment at the same time.